Gorleston man wants church bells to ring for Armistice

Pageant - master Bruno Peek, from Gorleston, is urging church bell-ringers across Great Britain to ring their bells at 7.05pm on Sunday November 11 2018 to commemorate the 100 years anniversary of the ending of the First World War.

Bruno Peek is encouraging churches and bell ringers to take part in Ringing Out For Peace, part of Battle’s Over, a national and international event marking the armistice, and Mr Peek is hoping that 1,000 churches and cathedrals overall will take part. So far, bell ringers at Great Yarmouth Minster and Norwich Cathedral have signed up to the remembrance scheme.

Man of faith Bruno, from Gorleston-on-Sea, has been made a Lieutenant of The Royal Victorian Order by the Queen for his part in the royal Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He has been responsible for many of the biggest celebrations of major national and international historic events, and was the mastermind behind national beacon celebrations to mark the Millennium and the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilees. As Pageant-master, Bruno handed Her Majesty the Jubilee Crystal Diamond which triggered the lighting of the National Beacon on The Mall, pictured above.

It is hoped this will be the most widespread ringing of church bells since the First World War, and serve as a fitting and moving tribute to the 1,400 or so bell ringers that are believed to have lost their lives during war.

Ringing Out for Peace is organised with the assistance of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, the representative body for groups who ring bells with rope and wheel in the English tradition.

Battle’s Over is a day-long commemoration of the end of the First World War taking place throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and at scores of locations overseas, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Somaliland, the United States and Germany. It involves buglers sounding the Last Post at more than 1,000 locations and ‘WW1 Beacons of Light’ being lit, signifying the light of peace that emerged from the darkness of war.

The remembrance event has four charities linked to it – The Royal Naval Association, Army Benevolent Fund – the Soldiers Charity, RAF Benevolent Fund and the Merchant Navy Association.